The invention relates to a method of manufacturing deoxycellulose compounds from cellulose in aprotic solvents with LiCl and/or CaC1.sub.2.
The Journal Polymer , Volume 28, December, 1987, pages 2317-2323, describes the derivatization of cellulose in lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide solutions by McCormick and Callais. Example 16 describes the preparation of chlorodeoxycellulose with a degree of substitution of 2.3. At best, such a highly substituted product can be processed in a mixture with pure cellulose to form threads or membranes since, after substitution, the properties typical of cellulose membranes and threads are largely lost. On the other hand, however, the reactivity of chlorodeoxycellulose is relatively low in order to utilize the chlorine as a reactive center and gentle operating conditions, for example to immobilize enzymes.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of preparation of deoxycellulose derivatives characterized by a higher reactivity of the substituents than that of chlorodeoxycellulose.